The demands of both work and parenting are rising. People are working longer hours. More women are entering the workforce globally. There is constant pressure to spend quality time with your children. So, how should we manage our careers and parenting responsibilities? I am very pleased that Neha Parekh has written this week’s message, sharing…

Live each day as if it were your last. I’m sure you’ve come across this statement often, be it on inspirational posters, during talk shows, or even from well-meaning friends. Forget about tomorrow, we hear; just enjoy today. It sounds profound – but if you really think about it, this might not be the best…

We all complain about people who talk too much, but few of us think we fall in this category. If people become restless while you’re still speaking or don’t have much to say when you’ve finished, then you’re probably guilty of rambling. But don’t beat yourself up! The reality is that most people have a tough time being…

As leaders, we are frequently asked for advice from our peers, colleagues or team members. Many of us also love giving advice even when not asked :). Think about it – have you taken the time to reflect on how good you are at giving advice? No matter how noble your intentions, your counsel will…

Have you ever looked back at a project that went horribly wrong and asked yourself, “What on earth were we thinking? How could we not have seen this coming?” Hindsight is 20/20. When examining past events, you have a clearer perspective – you can see exactly what went wrong, and how you could have prevented…

Some years ago, with my previous employer, I was assigned to work on a project in Singapore. During my first week there, on a Friday, I casually remarked to one of the analysts who was working with me that it would be interesting to understand some market analogies for a particular issue that we were…

As leaders, we tend to focus on breadth and try to become more adept at multi-tasking our way through a wide variety of issues. However, over time, our attention spans can get distracted by this juggling. Left unchecked, some of us become less focused. Our ability to concentrate, our cognitive abilities and our productivity can…

On September 6, in a landmark judgment that many of us had long awaited, the Supreme Court of India scrapped Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalised homosexuality. “History owes an apology”, as Justice Malhotra so aptly summed it up. People across India celebrated the judgment. However, this is just a start. We…

Think back to the last time a colleague failed to meet a deadline or showed up late for a meeting. In all probability, you immediately judged them: “He is such a slacker. Terrible work ethic!” Now, remember a time you failed to meet a deadline or showed up late for a meeting. I’m sure you can think of…

Earlier this year, many of us watched with bated breath as a massive operation was underway to rescue 12 young boys and their football coach, trapped deep inside a flooded cave in Thailand. After two tense weeks, all 13 were successfully extracted through the four-kilometre-long underground tunnel. This superhuman feat was pulled off by a…

For many of us, taking a vacation is a great way to recharge our batteries and feel rejuvenated. The challenge is that the benefits from a vacation don’t last long. The American Psychological Association (APA recently released a report (cited in an article in Psychology Today magazine) that suggests that the positive effects of a vacation dissipate…

I recently came across a fascinating TED Talk by Emilie Wapnick, an author and career coach, who coined the term “multipotentialite”. Although the word sounds complicated, the idea is simple: a multipotentialite is a person with various passions and interests. Unlike specialists, for whom the perfect career choice is often obvious, multipotentialites don’t have “one true calling” – instead, they’re…

Hello!

monday8am started out as a series of Monday morning emails to our team at Godrej Consumer Products, on what we could do differently to become better leaders, better team players, better family members, better friends and better citizens. Through this blog, I now hope to include many more of our colleagues, partners and friends, in these conversations. Why the name? Monday, since it is the start of the working week and 8 AM, so that we can think about these things before the day catches up with us.